Roberto Martinez is certain that  better times to come for Macclesfield after his Wigan side ended the Silkmen’s memorable cup run.

With the only goal of the cup-tie coming from an early penalty, the Latics manager left the Moss Rose relieved that they’d come through an uncomfortable afternoon against the lowest-ranked team left in the last 32 of the competition.

“I’m really pleased; we didn’t expect an easy game and I thought Macclesfield were really, really strong,” the Spaniard was gracious enough to admit.

“I think Macclesfield deserve a lot of credit; they showed why they have done well in the competition.

“We knew they were undefeated in six games at home and you could see why; they have a well balanced team.

“The back four are all happy to get on the ball and get forward and they showed they are an impressive team. I’m sure they’re going to be very successful this season; they’re creating something special.

“We wanted to score the first goal and then get a second but we had to defend well.”

The game hinged on two penalty decisions by referee Roger East.

The first, just six minutes in, was barely in doubt, as Thierry Audel sent Wigan’s Callum McManaman flying. It was such a clear penalty that the Frenchman didn’t have the gall to contest the decision, and Jordi Gomez scored what proved to be the winner from 12 yards.

But even that wasn’t straightforward for Wigan.

Macc had been forced into an emergency loan move to bring in Joe Anyon the day before, after regular goalkeeper Lance Cronin suffered a suspected broken hand during training.

Anyon could have made himself an instant hero and with a firm hand on Gomez’s spot-kick the Shrewsbury man was agonisingly close to a fine save but he could only divert it just inside his right-hand post.

Mr East’s second penalty call five minutes before the break was almost as blatant but the official was unmoved on that occasion.

Waide Fairhurst was shaping to slip in Macc’s main goal threat Matthew Barnes-Homer when he was bundled over by Roman Golobart. The Spanish defender did get the ball but he clattered crudely and clumsily through the back of Fairhurst to do so.

Unbelievably, the official awarded nothing more than a corner to the enraged Silkmen.

It was a call that prompted an unusual move from Martinez’s opposite number, Steve King.

“I watched it on the monitor at half-time and as he (the referee) was coming back out I said ‘come and have a look at this’,” said the Macc manager. “He wouldn’t have a look so I said ‘right, here’s my number, give me a ring tomorrow and you can apologise to me’.

“Waide Fairhurst was pushed, he went straight through his back, it was as blatant as you’ll see and I can’t believe he hasn’t given it.

“We should have had a few fouls that weren’t given, and they should too, but on the big decisions he got one right and one wrong.

“Theirs was a penalty, I’ve no problem with that but ours was a stonewall penalty.”

After despatching Swindon and Cardiff on the way to an historic fourth-round berth it was a day when things just wouldn’t fall for King’s men.

Two second-half openings, for Nouha Dicko and Angelo Henriquez, aside the visitors rarely threatened again as Macc defied their comparably lowly position in a performance that – apart from their final delivery – delighted King.

“I thought we dominated nearly the whole game,” he declared. “I think they had a 10-minute spell after they scored but our keeper didn’t have anything to do. I’ve just been talking to their people, they’re nice people and they said they couldn’t get out of their half, in the second half especially.

“Joe (Anyon) did brilliantly, he guessed the right way and got a hand to the penalty and nearly saved it. But he didn’t have much to do, I thought anyone could have played in goal, especially in the second half because he hardly touched it.

“All credit has to go to those boys because they were fantastic. They should hold their heads up high because they couldn’t do any more.

“We were playing a Premier League club and there was millions of pounds worth of talent out there and we more than held our own, we just didn’t have that final bit in the box, that was missing.

Meanwhile, Martinez, who is now planning for his side’s relegation battle as well as a date at the winners of the replay between Leicester City and Huddersfield Town, added: “I thought it was a typical cup game; the ball was going in the box a lot and I thought the referee had a very tough task.

“I don’t think there were too many complaints about the penalty on Callum.

“We wanted to get on the ball and control the game but, away from home in the FA Cup, you have to find a way to get through and I thought we deserved that but Macclesfield are the ones that should be getting all the credit.”